Hope and Encouragement for Every Season
If you have ever entered church, barely putting one foot in front of another because of the swirl of out-of-your-control circumstances going on in your life, you have prioritized worship over fear of the unknown. If you have ever chosen to make your reason for going to church God alone, amid church hurt, you have …
Continue reading "Prioritizing Worship When Life Is Hard….And When It Is Good."
Corrie Ten Boom’s story resounds generations beyond her own. Yet, it is not Corrie’s story alone, for it was her sister Betsie who often encouraged her when Corrie had no will to continue in the pit of Ravensbrück. Together they dreamed of the day God would use their story to encourage others who suffered the …
Small children in Christian schools can be so hilarious. As a class lined up in opposition for a fierce, fake snowball fight last week, the “L” sign on the forehead with the accompanying taunts of “Loser” came out in full force. As the children’s PE coach, I asked the ringleader what the Bible said about …
Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. John 21:22 If there is anything that trips up my personal worship of my Savior, it is the same comparison trap Peter struggled with in his post-denial, post-resurrection conversation with Jesus. Paraphrasing, Peter queries, …
14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Exodus 34:14 Humans are given to excess. If it is available, easily accessible, and satisfying to the flesh, whatever “it” is can quickly become an idol. New Year’s resolutions reflect this truth every year. What do …
Continue reading "New Year Resolutions or Who Will I Worship?"
Photo by Doralin Tunas on Pexels.com Advent Day 1 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. Matthew 1:17 The anticipation of the long-awaited Messiah had ebbed …
My Grandmother's Dishes My grandmother’s dishes still adorn the holiday table, though her presence has been missing for over a decade. I again felt the familiar tug of longing to hear her voice just one more time as I filled her rose-painted bowls. Holiday gatherings are bittersweet. Gatherings with cousins, aunts, and uncles on my …
There are so many ways to study God’s Word. We live in a blessed generation with a variety of options at our fingertips. There are apps for phones, free computer programs, and old-fashioned pen-and-paper methods. A quick computer search offers hundreds of companies that create Bible studies and journals. If you have not found a …
Here in northeast Ohio, fiery autumn leaves litter the ground, as if the earth exhaled a heavy sigh and released them from their seasonal labor. Soon, every deciduous tree will lift empty limbs toward the sky, awaiting the icy, cold shroud of winter. For months, the darkness of winter will fall early, and most …
As a bird that wandereth from her nest,so is a man that wandereth from his place. Proverbs 27:8 This verse caused me to count the cities my family has lived in over the years. Since my childhood years in central Kansas, I have only returned to visit. Marriage scuttled us down to three diverse cities …
His Song in the Night 